Why it matters
Royal St George's at Sandwich is the southernmost course on the Open rotation — a tumbled, dune-strewn links 90 minutes east of London on the Kent coast. It has hosted 15 Opens, most recently 2021. Architects and players are divided about it (the bounces are genuinely unfair on a windy day) but no one questions the quality of the dunes themselves. The course Ian Fleming used as inspiration for Goldfinger's golf scene.
How to play it
Walking only. Visitor times available; book directly through the club well in advance. 90 minutes from London by car (faster via train to Sandwich). Pair with Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) ten minutes away for a Kent two-course day.